Death
by Eternal.Angel
Summary: He said to me, 'Do you know how many people are dying these days...' RyoSaku


August 16, 2007 to August 17, 2007 (REFORMATTED May 1, 2010)

**Disclaimers:** I do not own any part whatsoever of Prince of Tennis.  
**Summary:** Death is something that we can be afraid of…especially when the person most closest to you has just died… Enjoy! _And don't forget to review please!_

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Death  
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Ryuzaki Sakuno laid her eyes on her grandmother, inspecting her closely. The way her eyes were closed, the way that her hands were delicately folded, and the way that she lied motionless on her deathbed. Her granddaughter could not help but cry silently and inwardly to herself as she continued to observe her grandmother's body.

Unfortunately, Ryuzaki Sumire had suffered a sudden heart attack and most likely died from old age. Many of the doctors and nurses expressed their sorrows, blessing her grandmother that she had lived a wonderful life and was able to live to her late nineties. Sakuno could only nod her head in agreement, not hearing half of the words they said.

She continued sitting and staring at her grandmother, unaware of her surroundings. The staff of the hospital tried their hardest to pull her out of the room, but she profusely refused and remained glued to the chair. Sighing in exasperation, they decided to leave her alone, for they assumed that she was having a hard time controlling the loss of her grandmother. They felt sympathy and pitied her, but she did not accept those feelings.

There was a knock on the door, but Sakuno remained as still as a statue, ignoring the sound. Then the door opened with a small click, and she continued to ogle at her grandmother, ignoring the footsteps of the visitor. She did not want anyone to know of her feelings and her current state, for all she wanted was to see her grandmother chuckle and breathe again. At least that much.

The visitor simply did what they proceeded to do. She heard the footsteps going further away and heading towards the sink, and soon the splash of running water vibrated throughout the quiet room. Carefully the mysterious person placed a container onto the small chest right beside the hospital bed, but Sakuno did not bother to take a peek at the person who was inches away from her. However, from her instincts, she knew that whoever just entered had brought a bouquet of flowers for her grandmother.

She felt a pair of arms encircle around her lifeless body, and she slightly flinched at the sudden contact. The steady breathing tickled her neck, and right at that moment she wished she could just have someone to rely on and support her. But that was gone forever, because her grandmother had already passed on. Right now, she just wanted to be secluded from the outer world and be able to spend her life with her beloved relative.

There was a jerk to the body and she felt herself falling backwards. She did not care though, and she waited for the hard contact with the floor. But it never came; instead, she felt a strong, warm fracture preventing her from falling. Giving in, she went limp and looked up to see a pair of golden-feline eyes staring right through her chocolate orbs.

"I'm sorry about your grandmother," he said in a low voice, and she only nodded her head unconsciously. His grasps around her waist loosened, and she broke free, returning to her previous stance.

"Cheer up, Ryuzaki," he said, trying his best to comfort her, "I'm sure Ryuzaki-sensei is happy and wants to see you smile again. Everyone cares for you, you know."

"Hai…" she said quietly, and silence ensued. The entire room was quiet, and neither of the two wanted to break the atmosphere. Sighing heavily, Sakuno decided to start the conversation.

"Ryoma-kun, do you notice how many people are dying these days?"

He blinked at her with a puzzled face, but keeping the same expression, he nodded his head and said, "Yea."

"And Obaa-chan just died from a heart attack, or as the doctors say, old age."

"Hn."

"And soon, I will die," she rambled on, now staring out the window as if her grandmother were there, "We are a weak race, and…"

"Shut up, Ryuzaki. Don't say such things," sternly intervened Ryoma, his eyes narrowing, "Even if we're all meant to die, you should live each day as if it were your last, right?"

"It doesn't matter," Sakuno said, ignoring his comment, "There's no point in living on if we're all meant to die…" She trailed off and went limp again, curling into a ball.

The freshman was truly frustrated at her attitude. Thinking deeply before speaking, he knew exactly what she needed. "You're afraid to die, aren't you?"

And that indeed hit the spot. Sakuno straightened her back in surprise and turned to look at the tennis prince. Her eyes were full of sadness and sorrow, and yet they were so empty. Echizen couldn't help but to ogle at her eyes, and he could have done it for hours.

"I'm not scared…" she mumbled as her eyes shifted away from him. Immediately he twitched and briskly walked towards her, pulling her towards his chest. She did not resist, but did not have any feeling for it either. She remained empty and soulless…

"We're all here to support you, Sakuno," he said in a serious voice, "Just live everyday exactly how you would have done it with your grandmother."

"It's hard, Ryoma-kun," she bluntly said as her words reverberated against his chest, "Without Obaa-chan, it's hard to live." However, not a single tear came out of her eye. She continued to lay her head on his chest, expressionless.

Seeing this, Echizen could only take deep breaths before whispering something in her ear. "Don't keep those feelings pent up inside."

She couldn't fight back anymore. Gritting her teeth and biting her bottom lip, she clenched her fists tightly and shuddered. It was too hard now that he had just said that, but she continued on holding back.

Bringing her closer towards him, he closed his eyes and said with finality,

"Cry."

And how good it felt to cry against his chest as the tears kept on coming nonstop, only the two of them knew.

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Owari_  
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**A/N:** My male friend brought this up during a conversation we had when his mother's friend died…so I dedicate this writing to his family, especially him. So it's **dedicated to my friend, JYL**. Please review and give me any feedback! I am very happy to be criticized because there is always room for improvement. Arigatou!

Ja ne, and I do not own any part of Prince of Tennis!


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